Best Dermal Filler for Areas of Skin Scarring
A scar can be an extremely difficult thing for some patients to manage, especially if it’s been caused by chronic conditions like acne or injuries. This is why products like dermal fillers have seen increasing popularity for managing these conditions: aside from being relatively non-invasive and low-cost, they have results comparable to more permanent methods like plastic surgery.
But with dermal filler injections, should patients consider areas with scars? There are several brands and active ingredients that you can pick from, but your choices will usually involve hyaluronic acid (HA fillers), collagen stimulators, gel-based injectables, or using fat from your own body. Working together with your provider can give you the best results.
What is your perfect cosmetic filler? Whether in your lips, cheeks, or anywhere else, our providers know exactly how to make you look your best. Call us today to learn more.
The Best Dermal Fillers For Skin Scarring
Skin scarring can occur for plenty of reasons, but the most common reason why people usually get dermal fillers for a scar is because of acne scarring. Dermal fillers are a quick and relatively painless way to get rid of a scar quickly, with short and long-term results depending on the type that you pick.
Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
One of the most popular options for dermal filler brands is hyaluronic acid fillers, which are products that plump and hydrate the skin. They can usually be found in most beauty products, but they’re also extremely effective facial fillers since they’re a substance that’s produced naturally by the body.
Since this makes them extremely biocompatible with patients, they’re one of the first treatment options that providers consider when reducing the appearance of scars. It can work on almost any scar, and generally doesn’t need a long time before it starts showing results.
Surface scars and facial scars in particular can be easily removed with hyaluronic acid fillers since these fillers treat these types of scars by adding volume to the scarred areas. By increasing the production of the cells responsible for forming your connective tissue, HA fillers can restore the layers of skin on the surface and repair your skin tissue for a smoother, healthier appearance.
Hyaluronic acid facial filler brands include Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero, and Hylaform. All of these are effective treatments for scarring, but your provider will try to match the exact brand they’ll use on the scar characteristics of individual scars that you may have.
PLLA (poly-L-lactic acid) Fillers
PLLA fillers (or collagen stimulators) are another option for the treatment of acne scars, but they’re especially effective on mature scars and deeper scars that can be difficult to fill in with other brands of dermal fillers. These fillers work by stimulating the collagen production of the skin, which helps restore lost skin surface volume and increases the production of healthy tissue.
This type of filler is designed to work on both the outer layer and deeper layers of skin since collagen production gives a significant degree of improvement after finishing the entire treatment. Because it allows natural cell repair and regrowth for your skin cells, it can work on any patient regardless of their skin type or skin color.
While visible results with this type of filler can take longer to appear, they can work particularly well depending on the type of scar, like atrophic scars and acne scars. Since these common types of skin scars need additional volume to make them flush with your body, collagen stimulators can accomplish this without having to rely on the amount of filler injected. With more collagen formation, you’re able to treat these conditions long-term, with results lasting from 2 to 5 years.
By far, the most popular brand of collagen stimulator is Sculptra, as it’s FDA-approved for adding more volume to the skin regardless of skin type. Patients who have experienced significant fat loss from lipoatrophy or sudden weight loss are also excellent candidates for a Sculptra procedure.
PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) Fillers
PMMA fillers are usually animal-derived products that use microspheres to add volume and fill in areas of the skin. They’re a long-term solution that can be permanent depending on the severity of the scar or wrinkle being filled, and generally have favorable results when applied by a skilled injector. These fillers work well on deep lines and acne scarring and have other off-label uses for skin rejuvenation as well.
By combining the PMMA microspheres with synthetic collagen, PMMA fillers can provide volume to the treatment area and structure to make sure that it fits well with the surface layers of the skin. The reason why this type of filler is particularly effective for the treatment of acne scars is that they can provide both short-term results (by filling in the depressed area) and long-term results (with the added collagen) in as little as 2 to 3 treatments.
One thing that patients should consider is the possible adverse events that may come from using PMMA fillers like allergic reactions. Given that their main ingredients are sourced from animal compounds, patients may have to look for other facial filler injections if they can’t use or tolerate animal products in their treatments.
Bellafill remains one of the most popular options for PMMA fillers, as it’s FDA approved for making improvements specifically on acne scars. Its results will usually last around five years, though the exact duration will depend on the severity of the scars in the treatment area.
Autologous Fat Transfer
Autologous fat transfer is a fairly straightforward method of filling in scars compared to most facial filler injections. This procedure uses your body’s own fat deposits as the filler material instead of a facial filler product, extracting it from areas like your abdomen and thighs then using it on your scars. It’s also a permanent scar improvement option that you can consider since your body won’t reabsorb the injected fat.
The process for autologous fat transfer is simple: after marking an area of your body for liposuction, the fat is extracted, processed, then injected back into your body. While it does require some surgical techniques to get the best results, it’s still less traumatic on your skin compared to scar reduction surgery or a similar surgical procedure.
One reason why this cosmetic improvement can work particularly well for the treatment of acne scars is that it can work on most types of scars without any risk of adverse reactions. Since it’s your body’s own fat that’s being used for the procedure, there’s little risk for rejection and allergic reaction.
However, the candidacy for autologous fat transfer can be more stringent compared to another acne scar filler treatment, since the patients need to have the needed amount of fat to extract and inject. If you’re looking for this type of treatment, you may have to consult a medical practitioner who has had extensive training in this procedure for the best results.
These dermal fillers are by far some of the most effective options that you can use to treat scarring, but keep in mind that the final filler product used for your treatment will depend on your consultation with your provider. By careful evaluation of the type of scar that you have and the results that you want, you’re more likely to end up with a procedure that can give you the cosmetic improvement that you want to see.
Learn More: The Best Strategy For Men’s Botox And Dermal Fillers
Can Dermal Filler Work On All Scars?
Atrophic scars, rolling scars, depressed boxcar scars, and acne scars all respond well to dermal filler treatments, but there are several types of scars that cannot work with fillers. Deep ice pick scars, keloid scars, and burn scars respond less favorably to dermal filler injections since the characteristic of the scars themselves don’t respond well to the kind of treatment.
Dermal fillers are particularly good at doing one thing for the skin: filling in depressed areas. Some types like hyaluronic acid facial fillers can give you significant improvements with scarring, but they more or less function the same way. If the type of scar that you have can’t be fixed by filling it in, dermal fillers may not be your best choice.
Bulky scars like hypertrophic scars in particular respond poorly to dermal filler treatments since they’re raised from the surface of the skin and require trimming down instead of filling in to match the rest of the area around it. This is even more of an issue if the individual scar needs to match the skin tone of the area around it – even collagen stimulators can only regrow cells that already exist. They can’t do anything to change pigmentation or discoloration.
For scars like these, other treatment options can be considered like deep peels, steroid injections, or laser resurfacing can be used to flatten the scar to match the rest of the skin. Keloid scars respond well to ablative treatments, with patients having the option to use dermal filler afterward to make minor cosmetic improvements to the area.
Read More: Best Dermal Filler For Lines Around The Mouth And Chin
Get Dermal Filler Treatments For Scarring At aNu Aesthetics
Scarring may be a significant issue, but there are ways that you can deal with them that don’t have to involve plastic surgery or other invasive methods. By the consistent and timely use of dermal fillers, you can overcome scarring and end up with smoother and healthier-looking skin. With plenty of options at your disposal, you can easily treat most issues of scarring, whether it’s just an acne scar or something more serious.
aNu Aesthetics has extensive experience with using dermal filler treatments and other similar injectables for managing scars and other facial lines and wrinkles. We provide effective treatments that have long-term results, allowing our clients to enjoy the benefits of their procedure without too much time and effort on their part. Call us today to learn more about our dermal filler treatments.
What is your perfect cosmetic filler? Whether in your lips, cheeks, or anywhere else, our providers know exactly how to make you look your best. Call us today to learn more.